AWS vs. Azure

The cloud is the new normal. The cloud platform has revolutionized the way in which businesses run their operations and manage sensitive data. Currently, more enterprises have shifted or are considering shifting their operations to the cloud as cloud computing promises to deliver improved operations, greater security for sensitive data as it can be accessed remotely, and a lower variable cost compared to running on-premise data centers.

With the massive adoption of the cloud comes a high demand for cloud computing professionals. These individuals have in-depth knowledge about different cloud platforms, cloud-integrated systems, cloud users, and all things related to cloud technology. Cloud computing is considered a top in-demand hard skill based on LinkedIn findings. IT professionals should consider undertaking Cloud Computing certification to boost their skillset.

Amazon and Microsoft are the two major cloud services providers that have dominated the cloud computing domain. With around 80% of enterprises running their operations or experimenting with the Amazon Web Services (AWS) platform while Azure has attracted 40% according to a report published on Forbes.

AWS (Amazon Web Services) overview

Amazon introduced AWS in 2006 by offering businesses IT infrastructure in the form of web services. AWS has since grown to become the most trusted cloud services provider with more than a million customers, two million servers spread across 16 geographical locations, and about $10 billion in revenue per annum. AWS commands 33% of the market share as of Q1 2022.

AWS has more than 100 services in its offerings which fall under compute, database, storage, application development, infrastructure management, and security categories in the cloud platform. These services are compatible with each other to enable businesses to run their operations effectively, build applications, and scale on-demand in a secure environment.

Azure

Azure cloud platform was launched in 2008, two years after AWS and has evolved to be one of the leading cloud service providers for enterprises. Azure was launched on Microsoft’s stable infrastructure that has been in existence for almost three decades. Azure data centers are spread across more than 60 regions in 140 countries across the globe.

Like AWS, Azure provides a range of cloud services and functions including database, storage, compute, analytics, networking, application development, and security to businesses to support their operations and scaling needs. Azure flaunts remarkable growth of at least 120k new customers per month with up to five million businesses using the Azure Active Directory and four million developers registered on the visual studio team services. Thanks in part to the fact that it is integrable with Microsoft functions like Office 365 and the Active Directory. Azure also supports a range of tools, frameworks, and programming languages.

AWS Vs. Azure

Both AWS and Azure offer similar cloud services yet they differ in many ways. Here is how AWS compares to Azure.

Comparison factors	AWS	AZURE
Compute	Use EC2 service for computing and ECS for customizing and scaling operations	Use VHDs to configure VM instances. Users have to specify the number of cores and the required memory
Storage	Temporary storage that functions only when an instance runs. S3 service for object storage and Glacier for archive storage.	Temporary block storage through page Blobs for VMs. Block Blobs for object storage as well as storage cool and storage archive for archive storage.
Networking	Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) for networking and ELB for workload balancing.	Azure Virtual Network (VNET) for networking along with Azure load balancer for workload balancing.
Database	AWS RDS (relational database service) for managing relational databases and DynamoDB and caching for Elasticache.	Azure SQL database for data management and CosmosDB for managing data at scale.
Application deployment	Features several tools for application deployment in batches, containers, and the cloud.	Features several tools for application deployment and hosting in batches, containers, and the cloud.
Hybrid cloud compatibility	Better integrates with open-source third-party tools and functions and accommodates Linux.	Natively integrates with Windows tools, functions, and on-premise server to create a hybrid cloud.
Pricing model	Services are charged on an hourly basis	Services are charged on a per-minute basis.

 

• Compute

AWS EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) service offers users scalable compute power. For managing software deployments with Docker and Kubernetes, AWS has ECS (Elastic Container Service). These services allow users to configure their own VMs or customize existing MIs according to their power and memory requirements.

Azure users, on the other hand, use virtual hard disks (VHD) to create virtual machine instances for computing and VM scale sets for scaling operations. For software management, Azure also uses Docker containers. The VHD can be configured by the users, third-party, or Azure as per the user request.

• Storage

AWS provides a temporary storage that functions once an instance starts and stops functioning when the instance is completed. For Object storage, the Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service) is available to users and delivers high availability through automatic replication across regions. AWS also has the Glacier service for archive storage. AWS storage services support NoSQL and big data.

Azure provides temporary storage through D-drive, block storage through page blobs for VMs, and Block Blobs for object storage. Azure’s block storage shares a lot of similarities with the AWS S3 service. For archiving storage, Azure uses storage cool and storage archive services. Azure supports relational and NoSQL databases as well as big data.

• Networking

AWS uses its virtual private cloud (VPC) for networking and allows users to create isolated networks and subnets, route tables, getaways, and private IP address ranges within the cloud. The ELB (Elastic Load Balancing) service is used for managing and efficient distribution of workloads on the network.

Azure is in itself a virtual network (VNET) that users use to create isolated networks and subnets, route tables, private IP address ranges, and network gateways for content delivery. However, a VPN gateway is used for cross-premises connectivity and a load balancer and application gateway for balancing workloads on the network.

• Database

Both AWS and Azure support SQL and NoSQL database solutions.

AWS RDS (Relational Database Service) is a fully managed open-source service that allows users to easily set up, operate, and scale relational databases used for their applications. For NoSQL databases, AWS offers the DynamoDB service and caching for Elasticache. AWS also offers the Aurora engine for MySQL and PostgreSQL.

Azure SQL database, a fully managed server engine that features several operating modes. Azure also introduced the Cosmos DB service, a globally distributed multi-model database service for managing data at scale.

• Application deployment

Both AWS and Azure have several tools for fast and efficient deployment of applications on the cloud.

AWS flaunts tools like Batch, Elastic Beanstalk, Lambda, and AWS Container service to deploy applications on the cloud. However, it lacks tools for hosting the applications.

Azure also has a number of application deployment tools like container services, batch deployment tools, and cloud services.

• Pricing model

Both AWS and Azure offer their users the cost-effective pay-as-you-go pricing model. Instances are purchased on-demand or can be reserved for a period of time.

However, while AWS services attract an hourly cost, Azure services are charged per minute thus more accurate compared to its counterpart. Offers short-term subscription options and allows users prepaid or monthly billing cycles.

• Third-party integration

AWS features numerous features and configurations that offer the flexibility of open-source third-party and hybrid cloud integrations.

Azure, on the other hand, Azure favors Windows users as it natively integrates with Windows tools, functions, and on-premise servers. This makes Azure a highly preferred cloud market as it is easier to create a hybrid cloud.

Conclusion

Cloud computing is a virtual platform on which web services are hosted and managed. These include storage, servers, databases, compute, application development, networking, and other services. The cloud platform also supports emerging technology such as big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to foster innovation and efficient business operations. By far the greatest advantage offered by the cloud is cost-effectiveness since most services are fully managed by the cloud service provider on a pay-as-you-go billing model.

AWS and Azure have proved both useful in different settings. AWS is a great option for enterprises seeking higher flexibility, customization, and third-party integrations. Azure on the other hand is preferred by enterprises seeking the stability and security of wider globally distributed data centers. It is also natively integrable with Windows systems and servers which makes it a great option for users of Windows OS.